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03-18-2008, 02:34 AM
Learning from the Irish
The Creational Theology of the Celts
Christian Post Guest Columnist
By Chuck Colson
Monday, March 17 2008
EXCERPT:
Although the mists of history hide much about St. Patrick, this much we do know: He was not even Irish. He was born in Roman Britain and kidnapped by Irish attackers. After escaping captivity, Patrick returned to Britain and became a priest, and later a bishop. He returned to Ireland 30 years later and, despite the danger, witnessed Christ among the Irish, converting thousands.
As Thomas Cahill describes in his outstanding book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, these barbaric warriors “lay down the swords of battle, flung away the knives of sacrifice, and cast away the chains of slavery.” Not only did the Irish save civilization, their zeal for Christ certainly saved the Church in Western Europe.
As my colleague T. M. Moore wrote at BreakPoint.org, “The period of Celtic Christianity, which lasted some 400 years between the fifth and the ninth centuries, is one of the most fascinating and fruitful of epochs.” Particularly appealing, writes T. M., is the Celts’ “acute sensitivity to the revelation of God in creation.”
Many believers today do not go much beyond “the heavens declare the glory of God”—but we ought to, particularly in this age when everyone from population-control advocates to materialists worships the creation rather than the Creator. Here, studying the Celts’ “creational theology,” as T. M. calls it, gives Christians a place to bring truth into that conversation.
“Reading the works of Celtic Christians,” we get the impression, says T. M., “that if God is making Himself known through the things He has made, then we need to be studying those things carefully, in order to discover His glory, encounter His presence, and learn what we can.” And talking about God’s general revelation opens doors for conversations with those who might not talk about God otherwise.
<a href="http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080317/31545_Learning_from_the_Irish.htm" target="_blank"FULL STORY/a>
More from Clausnet.com... (http://www.clausnet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3602)
The Creational Theology of the Celts
Christian Post Guest Columnist
By Chuck Colson
Monday, March 17 2008
EXCERPT:
Although the mists of history hide much about St. Patrick, this much we do know: He was not even Irish. He was born in Roman Britain and kidnapped by Irish attackers. After escaping captivity, Patrick returned to Britain and became a priest, and later a bishop. He returned to Ireland 30 years later and, despite the danger, witnessed Christ among the Irish, converting thousands.
As Thomas Cahill describes in his outstanding book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, these barbaric warriors “lay down the swords of battle, flung away the knives of sacrifice, and cast away the chains of slavery.” Not only did the Irish save civilization, their zeal for Christ certainly saved the Church in Western Europe.
As my colleague T. M. Moore wrote at BreakPoint.org, “The period of Celtic Christianity, which lasted some 400 years between the fifth and the ninth centuries, is one of the most fascinating and fruitful of epochs.” Particularly appealing, writes T. M., is the Celts’ “acute sensitivity to the revelation of God in creation.”
Many believers today do not go much beyond “the heavens declare the glory of God”—but we ought to, particularly in this age when everyone from population-control advocates to materialists worships the creation rather than the Creator. Here, studying the Celts’ “creational theology,” as T. M. calls it, gives Christians a place to bring truth into that conversation.
“Reading the works of Celtic Christians,” we get the impression, says T. M., “that if God is making Himself known through the things He has made, then we need to be studying those things carefully, in order to discover His glory, encounter His presence, and learn what we can.” And talking about God’s general revelation opens doors for conversations with those who might not talk about God otherwise.
<a href="http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080317/31545_Learning_from_the_Irish.htm" target="_blank"FULL STORY/a>
More from Clausnet.com... (http://www.clausnet.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3602)